Cardiovascular risk according to biological agent exposure in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a nationwide population-based study

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have a higher risk of cardiovascular events than controls. Although biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are efficacious in treating AS, their effect on cardiovascular risk remains unclear. This study evaluated the effect of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis) and interleukin-17 inhibitors (IL-17is) on cardiovascular risk in patients with AS.

Data of 43,502 patients diagnosed with AS from 2010 onwards and without prior history of cardiovascular events were extracted from the Korean nationwide database. Cardiovascular events were defined as incident myocardial infarctions or strokes. Patients were followed-up through 2021. The risk of cardiovascular events was compared between TNFis exposure (vs. bDMARDs non-exposure), IL-17is exposure (vs. bDMARDs non-exposure), and IL-17is exposure (vs. TNFis exposure), using time-dependent Cox models.

The incidence rates of cardiovascular events during bDMARDs non-exposure, TNFis exposure, and IL-17is exposure were 18.66, 8.92, and 12.87 per 10,000 person-years, respectively. TNFis exposure (vs. bDMARDs non-exposure) was significantly associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.697, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.499–0.973), whereas IL-17is exposure (vs. bDMARDs non-exposure) was not (aHR = 0.962, 95% CI = 0.134–6.920). The risk of cardiovascular events did not differ between IL-17is and TNFis exposures (aHR = 1.381, 95% CI = 0.189–10.087).

TNFis exposure (vs. bDMARDs non-exposure) was associated with approximately 30% lower risk of cardiovascular events in patients with AS. IL-17is exposure had no significant association with the risk of cardiovascular events compared with bDMARDs non-exposure or TNFis exposure.